The Open University Business School

Distance Learning MBA from The Open University Business School

Studying a Master of Business Administration by distance learning with The Open University Business School will take you on a personal journey. It will encourage you to challenge limits, cross boundaries and change the way you think.  The Open University MBA will give you the skills and experience you need to take your career to the next level.  Our flexible study method can be applied immediately in your workplace so you can start to benefit from your knowledge from your first day of study.

The Open University Business School, a faculty of The Open University, is one of Europe's leading business schools and the major provider of MBA and management development programmes delivered by supported distance learning. We are accredited by the three premier management education associations, AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA, an achievement that puts us in an elite group and we are the only triple accredited business school that specialises in distance learning. 

The Open University Business School Alumni Association has over 22,000 members worldwide and 900 in German cities such as Munich, Stuttgart, Berlin or Hamburg.

The MBA programme

The Open University MBA programme is designed for practising managers aspiring to higher positions and to those who want to become better equipped to do their current job.  The programme concentrates on strategic analysis, interdisciplinary skills, intellectual stimulation and independent judgement.  It builds these upon a solid foundation of core disciplines, including human resource management, organisational behaviour, accounting and finance, marketing and operations. 

The programme is designed as an integrated programme with critical engagement, embedding theory in practice and global impact awareness as core themes.  It balances your learning time between 75% of compulsory elements with 25% from elective courses.  This enables you to adjust the curriculum to suit your needs.  The electives are your opportunity to personalise your MBA to match your career, interests, aspirations and expectations and include Finance, Creativity, Marketing, Human resource management, Entrepreneurship, Leadership in cross-cultural contexts, Public and third sector management, Business operations, Supply chain innovation and Business, human rights law and corporate social responsibility.

Our model

Our teaching model is centred around your student experience and is a highly effective professional development method that permits busy people to acquire new knowledge and skills without absence from the workplace.  Your environment and your workplace become an important part of your study.  We focus on practical examples and assignments that refer back to your workplace and encourage you to include and engage your workplace in your studies.

All of our courses employ blended learning – a variety of methods such as traditional books, online forums and resources, tutorials and DVDs.  All are design to support and inspire you in your learning and everything you need is included in the fees. 
You will be allocated a tutor who will be your guide, encouraging exchange and learning with other students on the course, feeding back personally and drawing on their experience and knowledge.  The majority of our tutors are working in the private and public sectors whilst also tutoring on our programmes.  They therefore represent a valuable source of corporate information and bring a unique practice-orientation to the delivery of our courses.

To support your learning experience and help you progress through the MBA programme, you will attend three residential schools at selected points during the programme.  These residential schools are three to five day events where you will meet fellow students from other countries, backgrounds and organisations, to share and explore new ways of working, allowing you to gain new perspectives and insights on the relevant subjects.  If you are unable to attend your residential school, an Alternative Learning Experience (ALE) will be available.  ALEs take many forms and may involve a written assignment, an online project or online conferencing.

MBA entry and application

The Open University MBA programme starts twice a year in May and November.  Registration closing dates are end March and end September. 

Entry to Stage 1 of the MBA (Management: perspectives and practice) requires a minimum of 3 years' experience in a managerial, professional or technical role and a Bachelor degree with Honours from a recognised UK university or equivalent qualification. Usually this means that you are at least 25 years old as it is unusual (but not impossible) to be able to satisfy the ‘experience’ requirement under this age.

You will also need to be able to study and express yourself in both written and spoken English. The Open University preMBA course, English communication skills for global managers, may be worth taking if your English is limited at the moment. It’s a 6 month part-time course which will improve the language and communication skills needed not only to study for the MBA but to work effectively in an international context.

If you do not have a Bachelors degree with Honours you can still apply for The Open University MBA. We offer an alternative entry route onto our MBA programme through The Open University’s Professional Certificate in Management. This allows people with relevant work experience to join the MBA programme after successful completion of the one-year certificate.  

This qualification delivers the foundations of business and management and demonstrates your ability to study and work at the same time. It will lead you straight onto The Open University MBA study pathway.

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